I came home this afternoon to find that my Pachira had been knocked over by the wind.
Since I've been meaning to re-pot the tree for several weeks, I took the opportunity today.
I was delighted to see the thickness of the main root...which I'll be exposing a little at a time.
The mix is bark, pumice, and perlite - a dose of Osmocote, and a dash of wood ash.

I hope these images are helpful to the Pachira enthusiasts out there!

My Pachira, grown from a single leaf:
1.

I'm embarrassed to show you these roots...what neglect!
2.

At least there was a nice fat root waiting for me in there....
If you can't tell, I tore off a good amount of roots and blasted away the soil:
3.

Root-ball - mostly perlite and pea gravel remaining....
4.

The new mix:
5.

Carefully re-potting, using a chop-stick to fill all the spaces betwixt the roots....
6.

Watering the new mix thoroughly:
7.

Full view of my Pachira:
8.

Large, healthy foliage grown this Spring:
9.

And the old soil - pea gravel mixed with bonsai potting soil. If not for this durable mix,
I don't think I could have let the Pachira go so long without re-potting. Thanks again to Al,
who set me on the path to soil-less container media.
10.



Josh

It still amazes me that yours grew from one leaf! I love the look of the one trunk as opposed to my braided one. Don't get me wrong I like the braided look too, but its nice to see it grown differently since they are mainly sold as a braided trunk.

I will post soon, I'm just having problems getting photos on my computer right now.

I hope you're doing well!

Ashley

I'm curious to see how this single trunked Pachira will continue to fatten and expand.

I am trying to root a leaf again - just to see if I can repeat the process. I'm taking
pictures this time, so that the nay-sayers won't have any nits to pick. This afternoon,
however, my sister's cat (which I'm watching while she's out of town for her birthday)
knocked over my container. I salvaged the main leaf....but who knows if there's damage.

School is winding up, seniors are eager to graduate.
All in all, life is good!


Josh

If you love the plant, make the best mix available ;)

Oh, and if you try rooting a leaf, use only healthy leaves. I removed three leaves
for this experiment: two yellowing lower leaves, and one healthy, albeit deformed, leaf a
little higher up. The older leaves immediately browned, while the healthy leaf is still
green on the window-sill in a styrofoam cup (with drainage). I really hope that it
is rooting!

I'll have update pics loaded in a bit.


Josh

If ever was an argument for re-potting a root-bound plant, this is it! This is largest Money leaf I've seen!
And these leaves have yet to harden off! Foliage Pro and a fast, porous mix...

Josh

It certianly goes to show how important a good mix and a repot from time to time is!

Another one for me to admire from here..lol!

Have a great night!
JoJo

Al

When I first joined this Forum, I didn't know much about soils, root-pruing, or re-potting.
I was laboring under the misconception that one needed to recreate a plant's environment within
the container, using rocks and organic materials like sticks, moss, leaves, and mycorrhizae.

Once I began studying Soil Composition and drainage, I realized that I needed to re-pot my plant.
But, as Alexander Pope wrote, A little knowledge is a dangerous thing....
My first porous mix was made of pea gravel (round, and too large in diameter) and Bonsai Potting Mix -
unfortunately, I didn't know at the time that nearly all bagged Potting Mixes contain Peat Moss as one
of their primary ingredients. I ended up with a soil that drained well, but left much to be desired.
Also, I was fearful of disturbing roots, so I failed to properly prune them.

After that first re-pot, my plant sulked for months. It wasn't until June - July that I started to see
new growth. However, the new growth was distorted and small. I thought this was a natural response to
the re-potting, but now I know it was not. The plant was returning to its "state of continual decline."

Now that the soil, the roots, and the fertilization have been addressed, the plant is realizing its potential.
I might have to cut a hole through the ceiling for it, but that's better than digging a hole to bury it ;)

Josh

Al

I was the last line was pretty funny too!

JoJo

Al

Oh too much fun in the heat today! UGH!

Yes Al~ I figured that...;)

JJ

Josh

I'd like to repot my Pachira also. Can I confirm that you are using a mixture of pea gravel and bonsai potting soil and nothing else? What is the ratio? Thanks

"The mix is bark, pumice, and perlite" - see pic #5 above.

I think I mixed these ingredients at, or close to, a 1:1:1 ratio.

The pea gravel/bonsai potting soil combination was the old mix.
It held very little moisture, and no nutrients.

If you need any tips on the re-potting, there are many here who will help.
I'd be more than happy to, of course.

Josh

I've been wanting one of these plants, but no clue as to where i'd put it. :)

JoJo

The Pachira is definitely a space-hog...it's like an umbrella open in the house.
Mine does best near an eastern/south-eastern window, no more than two feet from the glass.
When I put it outside, I make sure it's in bright shade only...or else it burns. I've kept
my plant indoors since the re-potting, as the large leaves act as windsails on the deck. Once
the roots have colonized the new mix, I'll put it out.

Josh

I decided to try and propagate another Pachira from leaf, this time with pictorial documentation.
For some reason, many people don't believe me when I tell them how I grew/propagated my plant.
So, yes, there is a biased, self-satisfying In Your Face! nature to my entire experiment. ;)

I simply refuse to accept that I am the only person who has ever grown Pachira from a leaf.

Hoping to increase my chances at success, I pulled three leaves from my plant: two older, yellowing
leaves, and one healthy (albeit deformed) leaf. The older leaves browned very quickly, but the healthy
leaf has persisted. And, now, there might actually be a root escaping from the drain holes......

Rather than stick the leaf-stem in a cup of potting soil without any drainage holes (as my brother did
those many years ago), I opted for a very porous mix of bark, perlite, and scoria (red and black lava rock)
in a simple styrofoam cup with holes.

No special harvesting technique - just snap off a healthy leaf.

Snapped, like so:

All three leaves stuck together, exactly 4 months ago:

The lone survivor:

A root?!

Could it actually be a root?! Huzzah! ;)

Josh

Sure looks like a root to me..;)

Looks great! I love the look of your mix too!

Good Seeing you, love your pics!

JoJo

You did well to remove the rocks and to use a pot with drainage.
I would recommend another re-potting. What soil do you use for your
Orchids? You might have the proper ingredients on hand.

Josh

It's been a couple months, so I thought I'd give an update on my Pachira.

Josh

Theresa

I bought the ingredients for this mix locally.
Black Gold Pumice; E.B. Stone's fine-grade Orchid Bark;
E.B. Stone's Volcanic rock; and E.B. Stone's Perlite.

Josh

BTW, I put my Pachira in high light on my deck all summer. Do it every summer. It gets some leaf burn but adjusts and makes lots of growth. Possibly because I grow orchids, I like giving plants the highest light they can tolerate. Most can take more sun than we think.

This Spring, this Pachira will get cut way back as it has gotten too big.

Again, great post and photography.

Jane

I'm saddened to report that the largest leaves on my Pachira were badly sunburned about a week ago.
I left the plant out overnight, and then the morning sun blasted it. My fault entirely...
I didn't give the plant enough time to adjust.

Usually I have my Pachira on the front deck from June through September.
The wind, however, would have been too much after the re-potting, so I've kept the plant indoors
or else in deeply filtered outdoor sun. Now I've learned that Money Tree leaves will burn in my
microclimate in May and September...at both ends of the growing season.

Josh

I really don't need another Pachira but will pot it up. BTW, I burn the leaves each spring when moved outside. They recover very fast because quick growth due to the higher light. The small cutting was left under a table and forgotten so the one leaf was spared. Hope yours makes it.

Pachira/Canna are now out in full sun until temps drop (which they have been doing).

Jane

Pachira is definitely a space hog, and it's difficult to justify having more than one -
unless one has copious room!

Josh

Great job as always!

How many plants do you have anyway and where do you put them all?

Mike

I'm a little hazy on the total plant count....but it must be over 50 at this point....
The majority just hang out on windowsills once they come in.

Josh

Yesterday was a bit cloudy, so I decided to re-pot the Pachira leaf that I've been rooting.

Let there be no question now: rooting Pachira by leaf is a completely viable method of propagation.

Reflections: great gritty mix, but I won't be using styrofoam cups again.

Josh

Hello all! I wanted to provide an update on my Pachira, but didn't want to start a new Thread.

Here she is....still looking a bit ragged from the late-season sunburn last year. I can't wait for the new leaves
to enlarge, so that I can scrap the damaged older leaves.

Josh

Can I do this with a regular North American tree leaf? lol

My Pachira started to turn woody after about two years. Each year, the lignification
creeps higher and higher up the trunk.

Josh

BTW Every summer I put my plants in almost complete full sun and almost all the mature leafs die but they are quickly replaced. After about a month you would never knew what had happened. Mine doesn't seem to harmed by cold nights. I'm taking mine outdoors in a week or two when the nighttime lows are 33-35 or higher lol and I take them in around thanksgiving. I have found that a few light short frosts are not lethal to this plant.

T.J.

I was thinking Maple as an example. It's funny that you've been doing this because recently I was thinking "well if you can grow a new plant from leaves of so many other plants, why wouldn't it work on a tree?"

Plant looks great! Love all the little 'finger' new leaves!

JoJo

JoJo, the white Styrofoam reflected light and acted as an insulator, I believe, that slowed the process.
I've noticed that pepper seedlings haven't grown as well in Styrofoam cups, too...so two strikes, and I'm
not going to risk a third.

Mojave, I don't think you can grow a maple from a leaf...maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so.
Pachira is a tropical wetland tree, and so it makes sense that a broken/fallen piece could find purchase and
root in the moist floodlands of South/Central America. Deciduous trees lose leaves, so I must assume that the
structures are different. I'm no botanist, of course, just musing out loud. If proven wrong,
I'd be more than happy to admit my error on this point! ;-)

T.J. thanks!
Well, the story goes like this: one night, my drunken brother attacked his Pachira and bit off a leaf.
Then he decided to stick it in a plastic cup of wet potting soil. He gave it to me, and I kept it in that
cup on a window-sill. The leaf remained green, and so I didn't throw it out. Eventually it began to grow.

The roots grow from the base of the petiole, the long "stem" to which the leaflets are attached.
If you look at a leaf, you can see the base is swollen where it connects to the trunk. If you look at the
trunk of my Pachira, you can see that the base is swollen at the soil-line. That's what the base of the leaf
looks like once it becomes woody (lignified). Basically, my entire plant is like an oversized leaf with the
base growing down into the mix.

I don't recommend sand. I like a porous, bark-based mix that can be kept moist without being soggy.
I keep the mix moist at all times while the leaf is rooting.

Josh

Thanks!
JoJo

Less than a month it leafed out:

When the weather warms, I'll put it in its own pot.

Jane

Part of the leaf-stem on my rooted leaf is beginning to brown, so I'll watch it closely for when the
lignification begins to occur - and I'll make a note for interested parties. I wish I'd paid more attention
the first time...but I didn't know what I was
doing back then.

Josh

Hey Josh I plan on trying your method this spring so I appreciate your detail! If it isn't to much of a inconvenience I would love pictures showing the development of the wood and new leaf growth. Thanks!

T.J.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Tell us about your plant?
What kind of soil-mix, how much light, and how often do you water?

In the past month, my Pachira has grown a foot and is putting out several leaves.
The other day, I set it outside in the shade for a few hours, and the top went limp.
I brought it back indoors, watered it, and the following morning it was erect again.
New and pliable growth, plus warm temperatures, might have a tendency to bend.

Tell us more and perhaps we can diagnose the issue.
It doesn't look too bad from here, though ;-)

Up front, I can say that wet soils present the most
common problems with Pachira.

Josh

Because I have cats, I can't bring it into the house. I can prevent them digging into the dirt but I can't stop them from chewing the leaves. It goes into the greenhouse every winter. What happens is that all the leaves fall off and then they just grow more leaves at the top when spring comes around and I put it back outside on its step. hehe.

Now I'm sorely tempted to try a few leaves to see if I can start a second plant.

Next year, just before it re-foliates, you might consider pruning the trunks lower to concentrate
the grow in a denser fashion. Who knows, those branches might even branch again? Awesome.

Josh

Josh

I apologize for the poor quality of the picture, but I think you'll get the idea.





Josh

What is that next to it? It looks like a baby pine tree. How cute!

Thanks for sharing the update! Always look forward to them!
JoJo

Where was I when you posted this? I can't beleive I missed it. It looks much bigger. I love that tree so much that I almost bought one. But, but, I need to make sure I have room for my Avacado tree when it comes in this fall.

Yes. That looks like a little looking pine tree.
Thanks for keeping us updated buddy!

Mike

You're both right...it's a little pine tree that I sprouted last year.
It's a Jeffrey Pine from up in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Grows slowly.

These Pachira demand a lot of space for sure...not a small houseplant at all!
By the way, I had to bring the Pachira back indoors the next day...
too much cold rain and wind.

Josh

I repotted in the gritty mix immediately and have it sitting in east facing window right now.

I hear these like to stay on the dry side? If it is in the gritty mix, should i still wait until the media is nearly bone dry? Do you water more than once a weekly in your gritty mix? For summer, is 1/4 strength FP at every watering a good regimen?

Keep the mix moist while the Pachira is establishing roots.

During the Winter, I treat it more like a succulent. But right now, I water every 3 - 5 days or so.
I think that FP regimen is fine. I fertilize once a week, which is much easier for me.

Josh

I have been watering every 2-3 days since the Gritty Mix dries so fast for awhile after repotting. I think the dry bark sucks all the water out of the DE and it takes a couple weeks for the bark to reach a state that it contributes to moisture retention rather than defracts.

Seems these trees like the outdoors so I will put it in the front porch (NE facing) after the roots become more established.

Pachira leaves will burn and fall off if introduced to sun too quickly.
I keep mine beneath a large maple that shades the Pachira throughout the day.

Josh

An update on my pachira. ;) I moved it out to get some shade during the insane heat wave that was pushing through here!

I tried following the example of breaking off the leaves and sticking them in a pot. The older leaves fell off and the main stalk seemed to stay green.. then one day it just died off overall without growing anything. I'll have to try again later once the heat isn't so bad.

Welcome, Khourshed, and thanks for joining in! Your braided Pachira is one of the
nicest braided specimens that I've seen. The braiding is tight, uniform, and seems healthy.
I would leave the growth at the base, but if you want to propagate the leaves make sure
to snap off the entire leaf petiole (don't snip/cut them off).

I do have a concern about the soil, however. It looks very water retentive, and I fear
that leaves will begin to yellow and brown during the Winter months. It will be difficult
to water properly and allow to dry out.

As you know, I prefer a loose mix that can be flooded during the Summer, but dries out
well during the Winter. I treat Pachira like a tropical in the Summer and like a succulent
in the Winter.

Josh

Is there anything I can do to bring him back to health? I read something about a pebble bed?
Thanks!!

You won't receive notification of a response at this website, unless you create the Thread.
And, in fact, eventhough I did create this Thread, I am no longer receiving notifications, either :-(
After a certain amount of time, I guess GardenWeb's service just goes to crap. Who knows...

A year ago would have been the time to salvage your plant...but maybe there is still hope.
The dead stalk is a goner. Have you read through the very specific advice that I've shared with others?
All the information is contained in this Thread. Forget about a pebble bed for now.

Like I've told others, your plant needs to be re-potted at the appropriate time (mid-Summerish),
and it needs to be put into a fast-draining soil. After that, a regular fertilization schedule
needs to be established. Then, just hope for the best.

Josh

Mid-Summer, right around the third week of June.

Josh

I also have a money tree I purchased from Ikea about a year ago.
It has done a number of strange things and I'm wondering if I can get some answers...

I repotted it as soon as I brought it home in standard potting soil. It grew and grew - was doing great. Then, one day, I decided to prune it because there were just so many leaves I thought it might be overloading itself. Took off about 1/3 of the leaves.
Then, in the following week, all remaining leaves turned yellow and died!

Since then (a few months have passed) some more leaves have grown back. However, many of them are quite deformed with white/translucent spots all over them.

Again, it is in regular potting soil (which I see now is probably not the best for the plant) and has only been repotted once since I bought it, about a year ago. It sits just below the window in an extremely sunny, south-facing room.

Any help would be appreciated!!
Maren

In general, I would say re-pot the tree in about two weeks into some quality potting mix -
small bark (orchid bark), coarse perlite, and something porous like Pumice, Scoria, Turface, etc...

Josh

I'm posting a photograph of one of the leaves, let me know if you have any thoughts...

Thanks again!
Maren

I don't know what size the current pot is, so I can't say how large the next should be.
These plants can grow in fairly small containers. Of course, you'll get bigger, faster
growth if you use a larger container.

Josh

Change 1 - New Soil.
I've been using an indoor mix I bought at Home Depot, can't remember name but I'll check it when I get home later combined with Oscomote. I believe the soil is holding on to the water leading me to overwater the plants.

1 of them that was extremely healthy and vibrant has a couple leaves that are brown at the tips which I've linked to below. I have only been watering it once a week, but silly me, I put rocks over the soil to help lock in moisture. I would put my finger on top and it felt dry so I'd water it. Now I know to insert a dry stick to check. I did this morning and it's still wet. Plus I also notice that the bottom of the stems going into the soil look wet even though I haven't watered it for a few days now.

Additionally, I think that plant has shore flies. I've noticed a few little bugs in there that look similar to fruit flies. I'm not sure if this is the cause of the leave tips turning brown, but the leaves also look limp now.

At least that plant had a hole in the ceramic pot to drain the water out. The 2nd pachira doesn't have a drainage hole, so I know I need to fix that.

I think if I repot with a new mixture it should solve the pest issue and the overwatering. Would this be a good mixture for the plants (I'd rather pick up the majority of the items at Home Depot if possible:
- Miracle Grow Perlite (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100355951/h_d2/ProductDisplay ?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=perlite&storeId=10051)
- Better Gro Orchid Bark (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202045624/h_d2/ProductDisplay ?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=orchid+bark&storeId=10051)
- NAPA Diatomaceous Earth Absorbent part 8822
- Osmocote

I would mix all of the above in equal parts except for the Osmocote which I'd just use a capful.

Please let me know. I'd rather repot them sooner than later.

The brown tips don't look too bad, and this is pretty common on Pachira.
The re-potting into a proper mix should help eliminate any issues with pests (fungus gnats),
overwatering, and salt build-up (from tap water and fertilizer).

Your ingredients sound good. For the bark, you want to screen out the fine dust that is
under 1/16 of an inch, as well as the pieces that are larger than 1/4 of an inch.
The Napa and the Perlite should both be screened to remove the dusty particles under 1/16
of an inch. This will maximize aeration and reduce the likelihood of overwatering.

I would slightly alter your formula to include more Perlite and less Napa.
I will see if I can ask Al about the ratio.

Josh

I was just at Home Depot browsing around and I saw this Dendobium mix (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202045626/h_d2/ProductDisplay ?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=Dendrobiums&storeId=10051)

It has lava rock, western fir bark, hardwood charcoal and coarse perlite. If I add some of the Osmocote and some of the NAPA, would that be a good environment? Or do I need to pick up additional perlite in addition to what it comes with?

P.S. The soil I've been using does contain peat moss, and it "locks in moisture 30% more than regular soil". Ouch! But maybe the Osmocote is helping me out for now until I get to repot :)

Josh

At, http://www.repotme.com/orchid-mix/SelectABlend.html , I can customize a blend up to 12 scoops. Keeping in mind I already have the Oscomote, what would you recommend I pick up from there? I was thinking:
- 2 scoops medium fir
- 2 scoops medium orchiata monterey bark
- 3 scoops sponge rock medium (perlite)
- 1 scoop turface
- 2 scoops pumice rock
- 2 scoops small lava rock

They have so many ingredients there that look interesting to me, but I have no idea if it'll work well with Pachira. If you were picking up ingredients from them for your Pachira, what combination would you choose? Your expertise would be very much appreciated :)

I like Fir bark, coarse Perlite, and small Lava rock.

Josh

Then I was planning on using a standard strainer to get all the small particles of bark and Perlite out.

So the mix will most likely be 1:1:.5:.5 - bark, perlite, lava rock, charcoal and a couple scoops of Oscomote.

What'd you think?

For the bark, you want pieces in the 1/8 - 1/4 inch range - in fact, that is the size-range
you want for all of your ingredients - bark, perlite, lava rock, and charcoal. Once you have
mixed a test-batch, water it to see how it drains and holds moisture, and then please post
a pic. That way you will get lots of feedback before committing your plant to the mix.

Josh

How often do you water and fertilize? And how big is the pot?

Josh

I don't think it's an unreliable plant, it's done very well for me over the years. I think maybe it just needs some better potting mix when I repot soon & a better support. I have renewed faith in my pachira & am glad that I've found such a wealth of knowledge :)

Whoever thinks this is an unreliable plant isn't growing it right, I daresay! This plant is tolerant of various lighting, soil, and watering conditions...and it is predictably vigorous. When given a well-draining and durable mix, regular fertilizer, and proper light, it becomes a massive plant in short order.

Josh

I'm glad to have found this thread, there's so much useful information and a lot to catch up on, so thanks for that.

I've had a Pachira Aquatica for about two months now and I just want to learn as much as possible about how to care for it in the most optimal way.

As it is right now, I seem to be experiencing a mixture of things that some people have mentioned on this thread and others. As you can see from my photobucket slideshow new leaves are growing, and quite a few of them, but a lot of the larger ones are going brown/yellow, a couple have fallen off and the more recent leaves have grown and gone a bit wrinkly.

http://s1314.photobucket.com/user/pachaqua/slideshow/

Reading this thread I'm pretty sure I need to re-pot the plant as it's still in the soil it was in when I bought it from the garden centre. I've been watering once a week, not with lots of water, but with a decent amount, only when I've felt it to be dry. Again, after reading this thread I'm wondering wether or not I might be over-watering it slightly and should maybe try watering it every 2-3 weeks instead? I've misted the leaves every 2 weeks, but I'm not sure on how much that helps.

In terms of light it has been placed in the middle of a large room where it gets indirect light from both sides. The room has very large windows so it gets really bright. I've now moved it towards an east-facing window as you can see on the images. Spring has just arrived here in London so if you could give some advice on how to care for it in this period and the summer time that would be much appreciated.

Feels like I've might've missed some information but can't think of it right now so I'll round up my post here.

As you can see the plant is growing and dying at the same time which seems like a natural cycle but would be great to hear your opinions once you've had a chance to look at the images.

Thanks and all the best!

Nico

I agree, your plant needs more light...as much as London can offer, that is ;-) I huddle mine as close to an east/southeast window as possible, and then move it into outdoor bright shade once the weather warms sufficiently.

It is natural for the older leaves to yellow and die-off as new growth comes in, but the older leaves should hold for at least a season.

Re-potting is highly advised, once we near the Solstice (fastest recovery from the stress of messing with the roots).

Josh